From owner-freebsd-hackers  Mon Jun 14 23:22:16 1999
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Message-Id: <199906150620.QAA03507@nymph.detir.qld.gov.au>
To: "Chuck Youse" <cyouse@cybersites.com>
Cc: hackers@freebsd.org, "Marc Ramirez" <mrami@gbtb.com>,
	syssgm@detir.qld.gov.au
Subject: Re: symlink question 
References: <003001beb5f9$9b10b480$65e684ce@sloth.yousehouse.org>
In-Reply-To: <003001beb5f9$9b10b480$65e684ce@sloth.yousehouse.org>
    from "Chuck Youse" at "Sun, 13 Jun 1999 20:05:23 -0400"
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 16:20:36 +1000
From: Stephen McKay <syssgm@detir.qld.gov.au>
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On Sunday, 13th June 1999, "Chuck Youse" wrote:

>Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is meant by a "variant link", and
>what might one be used for?

Abused, not used.  A number of incredibly dodgy things can be done with
symlinks that point here at one moment and there at another moment based
on the current value of some environment variable, or other hidden system
variable.  I cough up a lung every time this topic is raised.  Variant
symlinks have caused me grief (Pyramid OSx) and never joy.  I hope it fails
yet again to appear in FreeBSD.  Just think of the new security holes for a
start.

Stephen.

"Oh, namei!  What have they done to thee?"
    -- John Mackin, on seeing Apollo's variant symlinks.


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